FG Starts N18bn Severance Payments to Ex-Nigeria Airways Staff

The federal government of Nigeria has initiated the payment of N18 billion in severance benefits to 2,700 ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, which was liquidated in 2004 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration. The announcement was made by Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, during a briefing in Abuja.

So far, 2,100 former employees have received their payments, with an additional 600 beneficiaries cleared for payment in batches eight and nine. The payments aim to resolve a long-standing obligation that has left many former employees waiting for over two decades, with some having passed away during this period.

The minister emphasized that the payments are entitlements and not favors from the government, and he apologized for the delays. The initiative follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to settle these inherited obligations, recognizing the importance of addressing such long-standing issues.